You could say we’re biased, but we’re amazingly lucky to live in a city bursting with diverse food options and overall deliciousness. And Wallethub certainly seems to have picked up on this because Miami has been crowned the best city in the country for foodies!
For its annual Best Foodie Cities in America report, the personal finance company looked at more than 180 major cities across 28 key metrics to determine the results. Each was ranked based on factors such as affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants, food festivals, craft breweries and wineries per capita.
The Magic City achieved an impressive total score of 73.58, earning it the No. 1 spot. It topped the list for its high number of restaurants per capita, as well as availability of affordable restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars out of 5. Wallethub noted that the city has 13 Michelin-starred restaurants, including the state’s only two-starred restaurant: L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon.
Miami came in a little lower at No. 21 for coffee and tea shops and No. 41 for its number of craft breweries and wineries. Still, the city stood out for its wealth of farmers’ markets (No. 3), kitchen supply stores (No. 2) and gourmet specialty food stores (No. 9) per capita, making it ideal for those who prefer to make their own tasty creations at home.
“The top cities cater not just to people who enjoy dining out, but also to foodies who enjoy putting their own skills to the test by exploring new flavors in their own kitchens. In addition, these cities make delicious dining affordable for residents and visitors alike,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
If you’re wondering who we were up against, here are the top 15 food cities:
- Miami, FL (73.58)
- Portland, OR (72.73)
- San Francisco, CA (70.58)
- Seattle, WA (70.45)
- Orlando, FL (70.08)
- Austin, TX (69.77)
- Tampa, FL (68.62)
- Las Vegas, NV (67.89)
- Sacramento, CA (67.52)
- San Diego, CA (66.35)
- Atlanta, GA (66.27)
- Denver, CO (65.93)
- Pittsburgh, PA (64.31)
- St. Louis, MO (64.19)
- Houston, TX (64.08)
Florida was well represented, with Orlando and Tampa joining Miami near the top of the list. Surprisingly, globally-recognized foodie destinations like New York (coming in at No. 26) and Los Angeles (No. 16) didn’t even crack the top 10. Despite their excellent culinary scenes, it appears their sky-high costs and lower rankings in affordability may have weighed them down.
You can see the full report here.